Electrical tissue stimulators have been widely accepted as effective means for alleviating both acute and chronic pain. Other well known uses include stimulation ob bone, muscle or bladder tissues etc... Such devices generally include means for producing electric pulses and means for delivering the pulses to the desired body area. In the case of pain control, electrical stimulating pulses produce the effect of masking the sensation of pain. this method of pain control is preferrable to drug therepy for many types of pain because it avoids subjecting the patient to possible dangerous side effects.
Transcutaneous electrical tissue stimulators are one type of tissue stimulator. Generally, they comprise circuitry for generating electrical pulses, electrodes for attachment to the skin, and electrode leads for delivering the pulses to the electrodes. State of the art devices usually provide adjustments or controls for varying the stimulation produced by the device so that maximum efficacy in meeting the particular needs of each patient may be achieved. Transcutaneous stimulators are worn or carried outside the body and have electrodes secured to the skin over the affected area to apply the electrical stimulation thereto. Such systems heretofore have required the patient to run leads from the electrodes attached to the skin through his or her clothing to the location of the controller-generator unit. For many, the wires are a major drawback because they are awkward, bothersome, and unavoidably conspicuous. The result is that many patients discontinue the successful use of transcutaneous electrical tissue stimulation and select an alternative method of pain control such as drug therapy.
The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a wireless transcutaneous electrical tissue stimulator which can provide stimulation for the patient without all the attendant irritations and gadgetry of present systems.